Two in a Crowd

**Ingrid** · Apr 21st, 2018 01:00 AM

Downtown in Sacramento was crowded with the pulsing rush of humanity. The streets churned with bodies; bodies that filled the little eateries and coffee houses that had sprung up like weeds to fulfil the requirements of a changing city. This coffee house was no exception: a hole in the wall, a tiny space squeezed between the corner of the street and shop selling sporting wear.

Much foot traffic.

In the near distance lay the sporting and transport hubs of the city. Prime real estate.

Ingrid bought herself a large drink and balanced it with a croissant (but the eatery had given it a different name. Classy). The wiry Darkling found a perch by the window, where she could see and be seen. This was her free time, so the Vernal Sovereign dressed casually in a T-shirt and purple hued trousers. Pointed shoes with heels on her feet and a garishly filigree scarf loosely wrapped around her neck.

Waiting for Cyndee - the Wizened.

AwakeOrangutang

Apr 21st, 2018 01:19 AM

Cyndee trundled down the street at her own leisurely pace. In one hand, a map taken from a tourism stand with a rough circle drawn around where she assumed her destination was. In the other, a paper with a hastily scribbled address. An old-fashioned way of approaching the subject, but smartphones were pricy and foreign. And small. Delicate. No, if a cellphone was necessary, her Nokia brick would suffice just fine.

The Beast nearly missed the coffee shop at first. It was tucked away and she was pretty sure the map had someplace different listed for this address. But it was the right address and store name, so it had to be the right place.

The door tingled as she walked and several eyes moved to look at her. Probably because she didn't look like your standard customer here. A black woman in floral dress that draped to her knees stood in sharp contrast to the chic styles and groomed beards of the usual clients of this establishment. She looked more likely to attend a church service that ask for a macchiatto.

...But it might also be because she dwarfed everyone else. Her 7' 4" height left her a head above the other customers in the shop... if they were lucky. And at 300+ pounds, you could probably take any couple here and hide them behind her. And that was just her Mask. To those 'blessed' by Arcadia, her spine was riddled with jagged plates that looked to be made of porcelain and a thick tail with spikes on the end of it snaked out from under her dress. Slightly less noticeable was the skin peeled back around her knuckles and elbows, revealing a complex framework of steel and ceramic.

For a moment, Cyndee just paused in the coffee shop, looking for her contact. You'd think finding another Changeling would be easy, just look for the person who looked a little unhuman. But she was still getting her bearings and she hadn't discounted they may be wearing a mask. Plus... the aroma of coffee was tempting. Another time, perhaps. She stood in the center of the shop searching for this Ingrid, oblivious to the stares around her.

**Ingrid** · Apr 21st, 2018 01:54 AM

An awkward moment ensued.

Ingrid was still on the look out when the hulking Coldscale entered the eatery. Hulking in height and girth, reptilian armoured for battle. It was quite a sight and the Darkling had no choice but to look.

It was the appointed time, or close enough.

There were no other Lost about. This, then, was Cyndee.

Ingrid blinks, rearranges her thoughts. Not a Wizened then. And Cyndee had said the city "made her feel small".

In the meantime the crowd parted enough the Darkling, with her glowing pale skin and slick sliding shadows, to stand out against the mundane back drop.

Apr 21st, 2018 11:48 AM

As a couple of the customers filed out for their own reasons, the Coldscale finally spotted Ingrid sitting near the windows. This Ingrid girl already was paler than any human should be, sitting in contrast to her darker skin tone, she'd probably be practically luminous. The reptilian Changeling lumbered over to her contact, taking a chair from a nearby table as she did so.

"Nice place. Cool scarf. I'm Cyndee." She made a brief curtsy before sitting down. The combination of fresh plums and ground coffee beans made for an interesting, but not entirely unpleasant, combination.

**Ingrid** · Apr 21st, 2018 05:53 PM

"Well. Look at you." Ingrid purred automatically as she laid down her cup.

"So. You're Cyndee. I'm Ingrid. Glad we could finally meet." The Darkling's voice did not waver as she filed away her old assumptions. Her nose wrinkled, recognising no Courtly scent.

"I take it you are interested in joining our little society?"

Now that the Coldscale had arrived, Ingrid twisted in her seat so she could an eye on the other patrons while they spoke.

Apr 21st, 2018 06:10 PM

"Yeah, me too." The scaly woman follows the motion of the coffee cup as she sets it down.

"I would be. If that is all fine. I understand some societies, not so open."

**Ingrid** · Apr 21st, 2018 07:36 PM

Ingrid nestled, bird like, on her stool.

"I'm just the owner - no, face! - of a little company. Was a long time coming. You know, left for distinctly foreign shores, got back, had to move on. Found the old life simply didn't fit me anymore. You know how it is. Travelled down the west coast and found this place at just the right time. Got myself in well with the right people and from there, a position of trust." She giggled. "Me. In a nutshell."

"Now you. Whats your story?"

The Darkling settled in as if she were expecting a story to be told.

Apr 21st, 2018 08:22 PM

Affiliation. Durance. How you came here. If she understood all that, that seemed to be what she wanted. It wasn't too much to ask, though saying it in code might be tricky. ...Best she give it a shot.

"Picked up a contract after I lost my job. Bad idea. After I filled it, tried to go back to my old job. Couldn't, they replaced me with someone more experienced. We... disagreed. She's retired now." . Rumor had it some 'Holds requested you take care of your Fetch beforehand. If that what the card here, she figured it'd be a good idea to clear that now.

"Found a place in Los Angelos. Taught me our trade. Hadn't... found a company yet, so I tried being friendly with them all. Got in a dispute with a guy, so we... made a... bet." Trying to make that metaphor work made her head hurt.
"I lost. So I had to leave. And now, I'm here."

**Ingrid** · Apr 22nd, 2018 01:59 AM

The Darkling found her eyes widening as the huge Beast chatted. Retired? Retired... Retired her Fetch? Fulfilled a contract? Ingrid's mind whirled so much she had to reach for her cup to hide her face. The rest of Cyndee's thumbnail sketch almost passed her by.

"What kind of bet?" Ingrid blurted, almost regretting her words the moment they bounced from her mouth. Almost. The Vernal Sovereign had an interest in matters of pledging and similar pacts. Her desire got the better of her.

Looming at the edge of thought remained the ominous words: We disagreed. She's retired now.

Apr 22nd, 2018 12:05 PM

Cyndee shuffled awkwardly in her seat at the question, eliciting a groan from it.

"The Wyrd kind." Hopefully the similarity of Wyrd and weird would help mask the bolder description.

"An art-off. Loser had to go. I forgot art has several definitions. Terrible person, damn good singer."

Two in a Crowd

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